AFLW condensed fixture not supported by players: AFLPA

The AFL Players’ Association has revealed AFLW players are “categorically not in favour” of a compressed fixture model returning due to its impact on performance and fatigue.

The AFL Players’ Association has revealed that AFLW stars are “categorically not in favour” of a compressed fixture model moving forward due to its impact on performance and fatigue.

In an interview with this masthead, new general manager of AFLW Emma Moore and AFL Executive General Manager Laura Kane did not categorically rule out the return of a condensed fixture next season but emphasised that every aspect of the competition will be reviewed at the end of the year.

In line with the league’s commitment to add an extra game to the fixture, teams will play 11 games in 10 weeks in 2024.

The compressed section of games ran from week four to week seven, with each of the 18 teams playing two games in one of those weeks.

While breaks between each game varied between four and five days, some clubs played four matches in 14 days.

Players missed more games through injury in the compressed fixture, while standards also dropped due to fatigue and teams had limited training and opportunity to improve due to the tight turnaround.

AFL Players’ Association head of AFLW Julia Chiera said that the players had made it clear that they would not support the return of a compressed fixture.

“The AFLPA is more than halfway through our AFLW club visits, where we have been seeking feedback from our members about the condensed fixture period,” Chiera said.

“While the players supported the condensed fixture in good faith, it is evident that they are categorically not in favour of it moving forward, given its impact on performance, fatigue, and missing extra matches due to injury.”

Bonnie Toogood and Georgia Nanscawen lead Essendon out on Sunday. Picture: Michael Klein

Geelong captain Meg McDonald said that the players had held up their end of the bargain and hoped that a mooted shift in the season start date to July will help grow the competition.

“As a playing group we felt that our job is yes to advocate and to improve as players and as people and I think we have done that,” McDonald said at Monday’s Indigenous Round launch. “I look forward to hopefully a greater opportunity to breathe, to play more football which we have this year and to have possibly a little bit less compression.

“I know it is not totally off the cards but (we want) to learn from that and to play a longer season with greater opportunity to improve within it and to settle in it.”

Asked if she felt that the AFL listened to players, McDonald said that the AFL had to weigh up what is best for every major stakeholder.

Meg McDonald says she wants the season extended. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images.

“I think being part of the Players’ Association and having been captain, I’ve been lucky to be in the room a lot of the time where our opinions as players have been heard,” she said.

Moore said that the AFL will review the condensed fixture “in totality” before deciding whether it will return.

“We need to look at what we learnt from the compression,” Moore said when asked whether the AFL had categorically ruled out continuing with a condensed fixture. “We know there are some good opportunities in certain timeslots which we wouldn’t know if not for compression.

“And there are things we can think about like a floating fixture in the men’s finals to increase a one-club mentality or double headers.

“We also want to see the optimal version of teams. One thing clubs did like travelling once for multiple games.”

Kane did acknowledge the increased physical toll on players and the heightened risk of injury.

“Ultimately we want the best players playing as much as they possibly can,” she said.